Meaningful Work: What to do with the time savings from NC Smart Call?

September 9, 2018

Healthcare organizations using NC Smart Call find themselves with an abundance of Scheduling resources at their disposal. One partner previous to using NC Smart Call required 16 Scheduling Staff to fill the 300 unplanned absences that would occur within their organizations each day. After NC Smart Call was implemented, 4 Scheduling Staff were able to manage the workload of filling the 300 unplanned absences each day. NC Smart Call has freed up the time of 12 Scheduling Staff. Here are a few examples of the meaningful work they are now able to focus on since using NC Smart Call.

Strategically filling shifts with the right people

This sounds simple, and it is, but it does not make it any less important. When faced with constant pressure to find people to fill shifts, there are times where the only factor comes down to ‘are they willing?’. Anyone is better than no one, right? Not always so.

In times of high stress, short deadlines and upholding patient care, the decision is made to put any warm body who can work in the staffing holes. This has been known to cause issues, as the skill sets and abilities of any warm body may not meet the requirement of daily work. With the freeing up of resources by NC Smart Call, the ability to do a thorough staffing review for departments becomes available. Proper skill assessment to ensure there is a spreading around of advanced training through the department can be completed. You may need to train up more triage nurses on the ER, or train more hazardous material handlers in Housekeeping, to keep up with staffing demands.

With more time available to review the type of employees interested in picking up a shift, Scheduling Staff can review each applicant to make sure there is a good match and the right people are doing the right work.

Fill shifts further in advance.

With today, tomorrow and the weekend needs managed, it is time to look to the future. Filling staffing needs well into the future reduces the complexity of filling staffing in the current work week. Plan to fill the vacation left by an employee, or fill the three week education leave as soon as these needs become known. NC Smart Call gives breathing room in the present, to make sure you can breathe easy in the future.

Working closely with the units

Learn what the specific scheduling trends, patterns and characteristics in your unit and begin to anticipate the effects they have on scheduling requirements and begin to proactively work to fulfill them.

Understanding of Organizational events.

Have an important surgery coming up? Time to monitor staffing levels to ensure the right people are in the right position.

Take the time to learn more about upcoming organizational events and the effects they will have on staffing requirements. Work to proactively meet these needs before they show up on you doorstep.

Making sure the people get and take time off

Vacation payouts can become a huge liability if not properly managed throughout the year. The challenge is that you need time to manage, monitor and ensure each member of the unit is getting and taking time off. With NC Smart Call you get time to do this. Additionally, you can work closely with employees to find vacation time that works for both them and the unit.

When it comes to automatically notifying employees of available shifts NC Smart Call has has been doing it for years. Designed and developed in partnership with Canadian Healthcare Providers, NC Smart Call is the insider’s solution to automating call outs in Canadian Healthcare.